Method for handling column of drill pipe during drilling operations

ABSTRACT

A method for removing or installing a column of drill pipe or tubing relative to a well bore during drilling or workover operations wherein the drill string is moved from the well bore preferably in one continuous piece without breaking it into shorter sections, and is moved in an upwardly and radially outwardly curved path from the well bore to a substantially horizontal attitude for storage preferably in a generally circular configuration on the ground or support means for later return to the well bore moving approximately along the same path, and as one piece.

United States Patent Smitherman 1 June 6, 1972 54] METHOD FOR HANDLINGCOLUMN 2,453,038 11/1918 Rossmann ..166/75 OF DRILL PIPE DURING DRILLING2,548,616 4/1951 Priestman et al. .....l75/ 103 OPERATIONS 3,306,3572/1967 Cullen et al ....175/l03 X 3,313,346 4/1967 Cross ..166/77 X [72]Inventor: Eugene A. Smitherman, 1921 Bank of 3,373,818 3/1968 Rike et al..166/77 South West Building, Houston, Tex. 77002 FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS 22 Filed: Nov, 30, 1970 99,063 6/1965 Great Britain..175/103 [2]] Appl' 93840 Primary Examiner-David H. Brown Related US.Application Data Attorney-Donald [63] Continuation of Ser. No. 859,634,Sept. 22, 1969, [57] ABSTRACT abandoned, Continuation-impart of Ser. No.685,686, Nov. 24 1967 abandoned A method for removing or mstalhngacolumn of drill pipe or tubing relative to a well bore durmg dr1ll1ng orworkover [52] U S Cl 175/57 175/203 166/77 operations wherein the drillstring is moved from the well bore [51] [lit Cl E2lb7/00 Ezlb l9/00preferably in one continuous piece without breaking it into 58] i s 1226 203 162 shorter sections, and is moved in an upwardly and radiallyout- 166/75 wardly curved path from the well bore to a substantiallyhorizontal attitude for storage preferably in a generally circu- [56]References Cited lar configuration on the ground or support means forlater return to the well bore moving approximately along the same UNITEDSTATES PATENTS path, and as one piece. 2,016,067 10/ 1935 Bannister..175/103 10 Claims, 9 Drawing Figures 7 il1 -=-::-:=.z-: ll ll Jig I ll,1 11111 1 111,. v 11; M 11 11 I 1111 1 I l PATENTEDJUH 61972 3. 667.554 ShEET 1 or 4 FIG. I

ZNVENTOR. Eugene A .Smitherman MZIM ATTORNEY PAIENTEnJuH 6 m2 3, 66",554 sum 2 or 4 N W-L'HUR Eugene A.Smithermcm ATTORNEY PATENTEBJUN 6 I972SHEET 3 BF 4 ooooooooooooooooooooo J FIG. 4

INVENTUR. Eugene A. Smitherman BY j W Mm.-

ATTORNEY PATENTEDJuu 6 I972 SHEET t [If 4 NVEN'TOR. Eugene A.Smitherman:--;Y 5 i A T TORNEY METHOD FOR HANDLING COLUMN OF DRILL PIPE DURINGDRILLING OPERATIONS RELATED APPLICATIONS The present application is acontinuation of application Ser. No. 859,634, filed Sept. 22, 1969, nowabandoned, which was in turn a continuation-in-part of application Ser.No. 685,686, filed Nov. 24, 1967, by the same inventor, entitled Methodfor Handling Column of Drill Pipe During Drill Operations," which is nowabandoned.

SUMMARY OF PROBLEM AND SOLUTION Oil and gas wells are presently drilledby rotary drilling techniques wherein a column of drill pipe isassembled in the well bore with a cutting tool carried at the lower endof the column. The column of drill pipe is rotated and the cutting toolpenetrates the earth to greater and greater depths during whichoperations additional sections of drill pipe are added to the column ofdrill pipe. Occasionally, the need arises wherein it is necessary toremove the column of drill pipe from the well bore and change or repairthe drill bit, or for other reasons. More often than not, the column ofdrill pipe is thereafter returned to the well bore-for a continuation ofthe drilling process. It will be appreciated that removal of the columnof drill pipe from the well bore is a problem entailing substantial timeand effort in solution, as will be described.

Consider, by way of example, a well bore and associated column of drillpipe, approximately 9,000 feet in depth, on the occasion of replacementof the drill bit. The column is made of approximately 300 joints ofdrill pipe which are removed from the well bore and broken into standsof approximately 90 feet, comprising three joints of pipe. In the statedexample, 100 stands of the drill string are customarily storedtemporarily in the derrick itself. In the routine course of events, thismeans that 100 separate operations are required wherein the column isrested on slips in the rotary bowl, the breaking of the joint, theunthreading of the stand, the maneuvering of the stand to the storedposition, occasional re-connection of the mud line to the drill pipe,further upward movement of the drill string by use of elevators, andadditional repetitive steps. The plurality of the above described stepsrequire a substantial interval of time to disconnect one stand, letalone 100 stands of pipe. It is with this in view that the presentinvention is summarized as providing a method whereby the column ofdrill pipe is removed as preferably one continuous piece, not brokeninto shorter sections, from the well bore wherein it is moved generallyupwardly and outwardly from the bore hole along a curved path to asubstantially horizontal attitude for storage. Moreover, the presentinvention provides storage preferably in an essentially circularconfiguration, with multiple loops of drill pipe placed in the circleuntil the lower end of the column of drill pipe is lifted from the wellbore. At this juncture, the lower end of the drill pipe including thedrill tool is exposed for repairs or replacement as desired. Moreover,the column of drill pipe is placed in a position for easy return to thewell bore by movement in the reverse manner.

The present invention solves the problem of retrieving the drill stringto service the lower end, typically replacement of the drill bit,without the tedious problem of making up the drill string to return itto the well bore. In times past, this has been solved by stacking90-foot stands of pipe in the derrick as the drill string is slowlydisassembled and re-assembled. The present invention provides anapparatus for the method of retrieving the drill string, directing itupwardly in a vertical path as it emerges from the well bore and bendingit toward the horizontal and curling the drill string in a circularstorage container.

Many objects and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent from a consideration of the following specification anddrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 shows the drill string removal apparatus of the present inventioncooperative with an offshore drilling rig and derrick;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along the line 2 2 of FIG. 1illustrating details of construction of a drill pipe guide;

FIG. 3 is a partial view showing the derrick and conventional drillingapparatus with apparatus cooperative with the present invention movedaside to permit its storage and continued drilling by the derrick;

FIG. 4 illustrates in detail a pipe elevator system which removes thedrill string from the well bore and directs it toward the apparatus ofthe present invention;

FIG. 5 is a sectional view taken along the line 5 5 of FIG. 4 showingthe elevator apparatus of FIG. 4 engaging the tool joint;

FIG. 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6 6 of FIG. 4illustrating details of construction of the pipe elevators;

FIG. 7 is a top or plan view showing the circular storage apparatus forthe drill pipe in conjunction with the derrick;

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along the line 8 8 of FIG. 7illustrating details of construction of the pipe storage means of thepresent invention; and,

FIG. 9 is a connector which is joined to the uppermost end of the drillstring as it is removed from the well bore for pulling the drill stringthrough the apparatus of the present invention to be stored.

Attention is first directed to FIG. 1 of the drawings. In FIG. 1, thenumeral 10 illustrates a conventional drilling barge of satisfactoryconstruction, having a derrick and associated drilling apparatusindicated generally at 11. The present disclosure will include anoffshore drilling barge, although the apparatus of the present inventionis readily useable on land, and the offshore barge constitutes nolimitation on the present invention. The barge 10 carries the drillingequipment indicated generally at 11. The numeral 12 indicates theapparatus of the present invention which is an apparatus which storesthe drill string, without regard to its length, as it is removed fromthe well bore. The whole drill string is pulled in a typical use of thepresent invention, whereupon it is serviced and thereafter returned tothe well bore. The present invention enables the removal of the entiredrill string without breaking it down into stands of pipe, which is bothtime consuming, tedious and dangerous. Considering the present inventionmore in detail, the numeral 10 indicates the offshore drilling bargewhich is of conventional construction and which provides the context forinstallation of the present invention. The numeral 11 indicates thedrilling equipment which includes a conventional derrick 13, travelingblock 14, swivel l5, and the necessary Kelly and rotary table. Anelevator apparatus at 16 retrieves the drill string from the well borewhen the conventional drilling operations are interrupted.

The present invention includes a suitable support structure 17 whichextends above the drilling barge 10 for supporting the drill string 18as it is retrieved from the well bore. The structure 17 provides supportfor the drill pipe 18 which tends to be quite heavy, and support for themeans for guiding and redirecting the pipe 18 to the storage means, aswill be described. conventionally, the pipe emerges from the well borepointing essentially directly upwardly. The support structure 17 iscooperative with a pipe guide means 20 as will be described with regardto FIG. 2, which redirects and slightly bends the pipe from the verticalpreferably to the horizontal and then directs it tangentially toward acircular storage rack which can accommodate several turns or laps of thepipe. Of course, the pipe 18 may be stored in some other configurationor in some other plane.

The support means 17 is thus a structural steel frame which projectsinto the air and holds the pipe guide means 20 at various locationsalong its length. Each of the pipe guides is connected to and held up bythe structural support 17. Hence, the structure 17 may take any form,but the pipe guides 20 carried at its upper edge as shown in FIG. 1 arelocated along the arc of a circle which is determined by the desiredbending radius of the drill pipe 18. In further particular, a top view,as will be described with regard to FIG. 7, shows also that thestructure 17 begins curving the drill pipe 18 for storage.

FIG. 1 further includes an upstanding pipe 21 and a flexible pressurehose 22 which supplies drilling mud to the storage rack of the presentinvention. If desired, the drill string can be retrieved from the wellbore in communication with the mud pump so that as the pipe is pulledfrom the well bore, additional mud is being forced through the entiretyof the drill string back into the well bore. This is the safety factorwhich prevents a bubble of gas or pressure fluid from a geologicalformation from rising too rapidly in the well and creating a dangerouscondition as would be the case if the well bore were left open, eitherin the annulus adjacent the drill pipe, or in the drill pipe itself.

Attention is next directed to FIG. 2 of the drawings which shows a pipeguide means 20. The pipe guide means is located at the upper parimeterof the support structure 17. The numeral 17a and 17b in FIG. 2 indicatevarious and sundry legs of the support structure 17 which carries thepipe guide means 20. Inasmuch as the guide means 20 is duplicated atvarious points along the path of the drill pipe 18, only one such guidemeans may be described and the others will be sufficiently similarthereto, differing substantially only in location, and a detaileddescription of all the pipe guides is not needed. The pipe guide means20 includes a fixed body 23 which supports a first roller 24 and asecond roller 25. The rollers 24 and 25 are free wheeling guide rollerswhich are carried on suitable axles which are supported in the body 23.As shown in the drawings, the rollers 24 and 25 have an outer surfacewhich is shaped to accommodate the drill pipe 18. The drill pipe 18 isthus cradled by the rollers 24 and 25. In addition, the upper portion ofthe guide means includes a body 26 which is hinged both at the right andat the left. The body 26 is hinged at 27 and 28 and a suitable pin isplaced in the hinges to join the body 26 to the body 23. The body 26incorporates a roller 29 carried on a shaft 30, which shaft 30 is forcedtoward the pipe 18 by a spring 31. The spring 31 maintains the roller 29in contact with the pipe 18. Moreover, the spring 31 bears against aU-shaped bracket 32 which straddles the roller 29 and bears against theshaft 30 at both ends. Suitable bearings are included in the rollers 24,25 and 29 to permit their free rotation. As the shaft 30 is forcedtoward the pipe by the U- shaped bracket, the roller 29 is kept inconstant contact with the drill pipe 18. As the upsets on the pipe passthrough the guide means 20, the spring 31 is compressed and the roller29 moves upwardly as shown in FIG. 2. This permits the guide means tokeep constant pressure on the drill string 18, and, as a consequence,the several guide means along the length of the support structure 17redirect the drill pipe from the vertical to the horizontal and at alevel approximately coincident with the drilling platform for storage ina circular storage means as will be described.

Attention is next directed to FIG. 3, which shows the conventionaldrilling apparatus as it is customarily used. The drilling apparatus isshown with the Kelly engaged by the rotary table during conventionaldrilling operations. The elevators 16 are moved aside inasmuch as theydo not contribute to the drilling process, but are best used duringvretrieval and return of the drill string to the well bore. Of particularinterest in FIG. 3 is the location of the elevators 16. They can bemoved to the side and stored indefinitely. In addition, FIG. 3illustrates the location of a certain connector 36 carried on a wirerope 37 which is threaded through the various and sundry guide means 20of the present invention. The connector 36 is connected to the upper endof the drill string as it is retrieved.

The wire rope and connector 36 are then used to pull the upper end ofthe drill string through the apparatus of the present invention forstorage. Once the drill pipe 18 is snaked into the apparatus of thepresent invention, the apparatus is then free to pull the drill stringrapidly from the well bore.

Attention is next directed to the elevators 16, best illustrated in FIG.4. In FIG. 4, the drill string is indicated by the numeral 18 as itemerges from the rotary table. In conventional operations, the drillstring has collars located approximately every 30 feet. The collars areengaged and lifted by the elevator means 16 which is a dual trackconveyor belt vertically directed for withdrawing the drill pipe.Briefly, the elevators 16 include a support structure 38 which is ofsuitable framing members for holding the conveyors in their properposition relative to the drill pipe 18. The support structure 38 issomewhat in the form of an A-frame and supports vertical structuralmembers 39 and 40 about which the traveling conveyors move. The framemember 39 supports a lower sprocket which is engaged with the left-handchain 42. The structural member 39 also supports an upper sprocket 43.The chain 42 feeds over the sprocket 44 and thus travels verticallyupwardly adjacent to the drill pipe 18 when retrieving the pipe.

Attention is momentarily directed to FIG. 6 of the drawings, which is asectional view through the lower portions of the pipe elevators 16. InFIG. 6, the lower sprocket 41 is shown to be a trio of sprockets whichare nested on a common shaft adjacent to one another, and which arerotated by a suitable motive source 44. Typically, the source 44 is anelectric motor which has an output shaft, a suitable coupling 45, andgear box 46. The gear box 46 is connected to the sprocket 41 for drivingthe conveyor belt 42.

As shown in FIG. 6, the elevator means 16 is supported on separableplatforms 47 and 48 which divide along the center line. It will beunderstood that one conveyor belt is positioned on one side of the drillpipe 18, and the other is positioned on the other side. Hence, it isquite convenient to divide the apparatus so that it may conveniently siton or above the drilling platform, centered at the rotary table.

It will be noted that the right-hand portions of the elevator meansshown in FIG. 6 are identical to the left-hand portions. It is believedthat a detailed description of this additional apparatus is notnecessary, and would be unduly burdensome on the disclosure.

Returning again to FIG. 4, it will be noted that the left-hand elevatorsystem has engaged the drill pipe 18 on a pipe carrier 49. Additionally,the right-hand conveyor system is shown moving a pipe carrier 50 toengage the next collar in the drill string 18. The alternatingengagement of the leftand righthand conveyors should be understood toprovide a means whereby first one collar is engaged by one conveyor andthe collar next emerging from the well bore is engaged by the otherconveyor. Drill pipe is customarily manufactured in 30- foot lengths.Hence, the spacing between collars is approximately 30 feet. Because ofthe 30-foot spacing of collars on the drill string in the conventionaldrill pipe use today, it will be understood that the elevator means 16of FIG. 4 extends somewhat taller than 30 feet. The preferred range is35 to 40 feet, with the conveyors extending the full length of theapparatus. The lower sprocket 41 can be located immediately above therotary table with perhaps a foot or so clearance. It is not mandatorythat the lower sprocket 41 be right on the drilling platform.Consequently, the upper sprocket 43 should be at least 30 feet above thelower sprocket 41. This, then, permits the pipe lifts 49 and 50 to graspthe pipe as it emerges from the well bore.

Attention is directed to FIG. 5 which shows the lower pipe lift 50 ingreater detail. The pipe lift 50 projects laterally from the chain as itmoves vertically. It engages the drill collar in its nether shoulder,and lifts the drill pipe 18 upwardly. As shown in FIG. 5, the pipelifter 50 has a U-shaped slot which fits snugly against the side wall ofthe pipe. As the pipe lift 50 moves faster, it lifts the collar from itslower shoulder and helps draw the drill string from the well bore. Asshown in FIG. 5, the pipe lift 50 is carried on at least two or threepins to various chain lengths comprising the lift chain of the elevator,and hence, extends rigidly to the left, and is guided and maintained inthi s posture by a channel formed in the structural member 40. This is asuitable means for engaging the pipe 18, and pulling it from the wellbore.

Without regard to the size of the motor, it can be geared down toprovide sufficient pulley power for withdrawing the drill string 18 fromthe well bore.

It should be noted that the two conveyors alternate in grasping firstone collar and then the next of the drill pipe 18 as it emerges from thewell bore. When one side loads up, there is a tendency for the motor toslow down, and that side travels a little slower because of the load.The other conveyor will be unloaded at this juncture and the motor willtend to speed up, rushing the pipe lift means of that elevator to aposition immediately adjacent to the drill pipe for lifting purposes.Thus, as shown in FIG. 1, when the pipe lift 49 reaches the top of itstravel and tends to rotate to the left and withdraw from the collar ofthe pipe 18, the pipe lift 50 at the lower portions of FIG. 4 will comeinto engagement with its drill collar. The motors may be controlled byhand or suitable speed controllers. In this manner, the pipe lift 50tends to overtake the drill collar, and this sequence is repeatedthroughout the entire drill string.

To this juncture, sufficient structure has been described forwithdrawing the drill string from the well bore and guiding it on thestructural support member through the use of the means 20. Attention isnow directed to FIG. 7 wherein the means for storing the pipe in ahorizontal loop is described. In FIG. 7, the numeral 11 indicates thedrilling apparatus which is conventionally found in conjunction with thepresent equipment. The numeral 17 indicates the structural supportmember previously described for holding the drill string 18 as it isbent from the vertical toward the horizontal, and forced to a horizontalpoint approximately parallel with the deck of the drilling barge 10. InFIG. 7, it will be noted that the structural support 17 incorporatesseveral guide means 20 which continuously bend and redirect the drillpipe 18 tangentially toward a circle. As was discussed in regard to FIG.1, the structural support 17 provides compound bending to the pipe 18 asit is redirected to the storage means as will be described.

In FIG. 7, a circular storage means is indicated by the numeral 55. Itpreferably comprises a completely encircling storage rack bestillustrated in FIG. 8. In FIG. 8, the means 55 will be observed toinclude a side wall 56 and a bottom wall 57, and an internal side wall58. The walls 56 and 58 are parallel to one another, and areconcentrically located. The wire line 37 is threaded through the variouspipe guide means 20 shown in FIG. 7, and one or two revolutions of theline 37 are stored in the circular storage means 55. The connector 36(see FIG. 9) connects through the drill string 18 for the purpose ofpulling the drill string 18 from the well bore through the various guidemeans and then to the storage container 55. The circular storage troughor rack is rotated to pull the lead line 37, the connector 36 and thenthe drill string through the various pipe guides 20 and into the storagetrough or rack. As the drill pipe 18 is stored and the storage trough orrack is rotated, additional drill string is pulled from the well boreinto the storage rack 55.

In FIG. 8, the storage rack 55 is shown including the means which rotatethe storage rack as the drill string 18 is accumulated in several turnsor revolutions. The storage means 55 is carried on a pair of rails 60and 61. Wheels 62 and 63 carried on a common axle 64 support the storagerack on the rails 60 and 61. The wheels and associated axle are locatedat several points about the circumference of the storage rack 55 tosupport the entirety of the circular structure on the rails.Additionally, a circular rack 65 is located immediately inboard theouter rail 60. The rack 65 is engaged by a pinion 66 which is common tothe axle 64. The pinion 66 is keyed to the axle 64 and in response tooperation of a motor 67, the storage rack is rotated. The motor 67 isprovided with a conventional coupling, gear reduction box, and suitablegears at 68 for imparting the rotation to the common axle 64 and thepinion 66. As the motor 67 operates, the storage rack 55 is rotated at arate of speed determined by operation of the motor 67.

As mentioned above, a suitable number of wheels are arranged about thepipe storage rack 55 to carry the rack and maintain it level as itrotates on the rails 60 and 61. The axle 64 is supported by a pair ofdownwardly extending journals 69 and 70 which are appended to the lowerside of the storage rack 55.

The length of the lead line 37 should be so calculated that when it isfully retrieved and placed in the storage rack, it positions theconnector 36 of FIG. 9 immediately adjacent to an opening in the sidewall 58 of the storage rack 55. As shown in FIG. 8, this pennits the mudline 22 to connect through the side wall 58 so that the mud line is thenconnected with the drill pipe 18 through a T-connection provided in themeans 36 as shown in FIG. 9. The apparatus can be interrupted in itsoperation and the storage rack stopped while this connection is madeonce the first few hundred feet of drill pipe 18 have been retrievedfrom the well bore.

Strong emphasis should be placed on the fact that the drill pipe is notbent to the extent that it takes a set. The stresses in the drill pipeare kept below the elastic limit, and as a consequence, the pipe isfirst bent, then straightens out of its own accord and returns to itsoriginal straight posture. Consequently, the pipe that is handled by thepresent invention is returned to the well bore without the use of pipestraighteners or like apparatus.

In operation, the method of the present invention includes the steps ofdisconnecting the drill string from the Kelly and connecting it with theadaptor 36. The adaptor 36 is pulled through the various pipe guides 20as shown in FIG. 7 with the upper end of the drill string being forcedthrough the various pipe guides. As the wire rope 37 is retrieved intothe circular rack 55, the drill pipe 18 is pulled into the storage rack.As shown in FIG. 1, the drill pipe 18 is angled downwardly at its pointof entry to the storage rack 55. This tends to force the pipe toward thebottom, and indeed, it is stored on the bottom plate 57 as shown in FIG.8. If the storage rack 55 is rotated at a speed slightly faster than thespeed of withdrawal of the elevators 16 as shown in FIG. 1, the drillpipe 18 will be drawn toward the inside wall 58. Thus, the combinationof the speed of rotation of the circular storage rack in conjunctionwith the downwardly directed pipe at the point of entry forces the pipeto the bottom and inside of the storage rack 55. In a sense, these twofactors aid and assist the order in which the several turns orrevolutions of the drill pipe go into the storage rack as opposed to arandom means of coiling the pipe in the storage rack.

The present apparatus functions both for retrieval of the drill stringand return of the drill string to the well bore. When it is time toreturn the drill string, the rack 55 is reversed in direction ofrotation and the elevators 16 as shown in FIG. 4 are likewise reversedto lower the drill string back into the well bore. The full length ofthe drill string is retrieved from the circular storagerack 55 andreturned to the well bore to permit the drilling operation to resume. Onretrieval, the pipe is uncoiled from the circular storage rack until theconnector 36 feeds back through the various and sundry pipe guides, andis returned to the position of FIG. 3. As shown in FIG. 3, theconnective swivel 36 is then disconnected from the drill string, whichis then connected to the conventional draw works in the derrick and thedrilling process is then resumed. The several method steps of thepresent invention have likewise been included in the descriptionheretofore.

The vocabulary adapted in the specification is applied to the claimswhich are appended hereto, the foregoing being directed to the preferredembodiment of the present invention.

I claim:

1. A method of handling a column of drill pipe suspended beneath aconventional drilling rig which incorporates a rotary drillingmechanism, a draw works for supporting the column of drill pipe, and amud supply connected to the column of drill pipe for circulating mudthrough the drill bit connected at the lower end which advances the wellbore on rotation, and wherein the column of drill pipe is suflicient inlength to extend toward the bottom of the well bore, and wherein itbecomes necessary on occasion to interrupt the drilling process andremove the column of drill pipe from the well bore, the methodcomprising the steps of disengaging the column of drill pipe from therotary drilling mechanism and thereafter moving the column of drill pipeupwardly from the well bore in a continuous piece, said upward movementbeing continued upwardly and arcuately, comprising at least severaljoints of drill pipe curved to a substantially horizontal attitudeextending from the upper end of the well bore, and placing thecontinuous piece at a storage place near the well bore and substantiallyhorizontal with respect to the ground.

2. The method of claim 1 including the method step of placing the upperportion of the column of drill pipe in a closed loop arrangement at thestorage place.

3. The method of claim 2 including the method step of placing two ormore portions of the column of drill pipe adjacent to one another in theclosed loop arrangement at the storage place 4. The method of claim 1including the step of disconnecting the conventional mud supply from thecolumn of drill pipe and connecting thereto another mud supply which isadapted to maintain connection and mud flow through the column of drillpipe during the step of moving the column of drill pipe upwardly fromthe well bore.

5. The method of claim 1 including the step of coiling the column ofdrill pipe in a circle, and the further step of connecting analternative mud supply to the column of drill pipe as the column ofdrill pipe is coiled.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the upward movement of the column ofdrill pipe is accomplished by bending the drill pipe an amount less thanthat required to exceed the elastic a limit of the material of which thedrill pipe is made.

7. The method of claim 1 including the method steps of disconnecting thecolumn of drill pipe from the conventional mud supply, connecting a leadline to the upper end of the column of drill pipe, and lifiing the upperend of the column of drill pipe, and pulling the upper end of the columnof pipe into a circle through manipulation of the lead line.

8. The method of claim 1 including the step of connecting a lead line tothe upper end of the column of drill pipe, manipulating the lead line topull the column of drill pipe into a circle, and connecting analternative mud supply to the upper end of the column of drill pipe, andthereafter coiling at least another circle of drill pipe whilecontinuing mud circulation into the column of drill pipe with thealternative mud supply.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the method step of moving the column ofdrill pipe upwardly from the well bore is continued until the lower endof the column of drill pipe is exposed at the upper end of the wellbore.

10. The method of claim 1 including the method step of moving the upperend of the column of drill pipe essentially in a circle in the nearvicinity to the well bore and continuing said movement to store thecolumn of drill pipe in a plurality of generally circular loopsapproximately equal to one another in radius, and all approximatelyparallel to one another.

i i I.

1. A method of handling a column of drill pipe suspended beneath aconventional drilling rig which incorporates a rotary drillingmechanism, a draw works for supporting the column of drill pipe, and amud supply connected to the column of drill pipe for circulating mudthrough the drill bit connected at the lower end which advances the wellbore on rotation, and wherein the column of drill pipe is sufficient inlength to extend toward the bottom of the well bore, and wherein itbecomes necessary on occasion to interrupt the drilling process andremove the column of drill pipe from the well bore, the methodcomprising the steps of disengaging the column of drill pipe from therotary drilling mechanism and thereafter moving the column of drill pipeupwardly from the well bore in a continuous piece, said upward movementbeing continued upwardly and arcuately, comprising at least severaljoints of drill pipe curved to a substantially horizontal attitudeextending from the upper end of the well bore, and placing thecontinuous piece at a storage place near the well bore and substantiallyhorizontal with respect to the ground.
 2. The method of claim 1including the method step of placing the upper portion of the column ofdrill pipe in a closed loop arrangement at the storage place.
 3. Themethod of claim 2 including the method step of Placing two or moreportions of the column of drill pipe adjacent to one another in theclosed loop arrangement at the storage place.
 4. The method of claim 1including the step of disconnecting the conventional mud supply from thecolumn of drill pipe and connecting thereto another mud supply which isadapted to maintain connection and mud flow through the column of drillpipe during the step of moving the column of drill pipe upwardly fromthe well bore.
 5. The method of claim 1 including the step of coilingthe column of drill pipe in a circle, and the further step of connectingan alternative mud supply to the column of drill pipe as the column ofdrill pipe is coiled.
 6. The method of claim 1 wherein the upwardmovement of the column of drill pipe is accomplished by bending thedrill pipe an amount less than that required to exceed the elastic limitof the material of which the drill pipe is made.
 7. The method of claim1 including the method steps of disconnecting the column of drill pipefrom the conventional mud supply, connecting a lead line to the upperend of the column of drill pipe, and lifting the upper end of the columnof drill pipe, and pulling the upper end of the column of pipe into acircle through manipulation of the lead line.
 8. The method of claim 1including the step of connecting a lead line to the upper end of thecolumn of drill pipe, manipulating the lead line to pull the column ofdrill pipe into a circle, and connecting an alternative mud supply tothe upper end of the column of drill pipe, and thereafter coiling atleast another circle of drill pipe while continuing mud circulation intothe column of drill pipe with the alternative mud supply.
 9. The methodof claim 1 wherein the method step of moving the column of drill pipeupwardly from the well bore is continued until the lower end of thecolumn of drill pipe is exposed at the upper end of the well bore. 10.The method of claim 1 including the method step of moving the upper endof the column of drill pipe essentially in a circle in the near vicinityto the well bore and continuing said movement to store the column ofdrill pipe in a plurality of generally circular loops approximatelyequal to one another in radius, and all approximately parallel to oneanother.